A Welcome Change
by howlswithwolves
Summary: The girls have a sleepover and Allison isn't exactly subtle.


**Author's Note:** So this is the first thing that I've written in like, a year, so be gentle with me. This was just a little one-shot that came to mind one night.

* * *

Allison sat on the edge of her bed, watching Lydia practically rip her closet apart. "Are you sure I can't just drive you to get some clothes? It's not a big deal." Allison's eyes wandered from Lydia's slim shoulders, down the smooth expanse of her back, to her achingly beautiful legs.

"This will do," Lydia chirped, snapping Allison out of her haze. She held up an old, ratty button-up plaid shirt. Silly as it was, it was one of Allison's favorite possessions. It used to be her dads, but when Allison was five, she would use it as a blanket. Her father let her keep it ever since. Trying to pry it away from her basically Mission Impossible, anyways.

Lydia turned around, striking a model-like pose with both hands on her hips, her left hip popped. "How do I look?" she said with a devilish grin.

"G-great," Allison managed, although she wanted to say stunning. Lydia's fire-red hair against the blue and white patterns of the shirt was a match made in heaven. Allison chewed her bottom lip.

"Excellent," Lydia said, bounding over to the other side of the bed where Allison's laptop was. "So, Buffy, right?" Lydia said, making herself comfortable.

Allison sat beside her, careful not to inch too close. The energy she felt coursing through her body was definitely not normal. Her heart hammered, her throat dry and her palms sweaty. Lydia was too enamored by Allison's laptop to notice, thank God. Allison settled for sitting on her shaky hands.

"Yeah," Allison cleared her throat. "Whatever you want."

The thing about Lydia was that she was nothing like she appeared. The people at school had her all wrong. Allison liked being the only one who knew her little quirks. It was like Lydia trusted her and liked her enough that she didn't feel the need to be fake with her; she could just be her normal, dorky, carefree self. Knowing that made Allison's heart hammer even harder.

Lydia settled the laptop at the end of the bed between their feet. She curled her legs under her; if she wanted she could curl herself right into Allison's side. Allison twitched, just imaging the feeling of her friend's warm body against hers.

Fifteen minutes passed, and it was the most stressful fifteen minutes of Allison's entire life. Between trying not to let her eyes wander, keeping her body and her emotions under control, she was spent. Which was extremely pathetic considering all she was doing was sitting on a fricken bed.

"Wow. She is _so _gay."

Allison practically jumped out of her skin. "No I'm not!"

Lydia glanced over at Allison, her eyebrow raised.

Allison froze. She looked at the screen. Lydia was talking about one of the characters, Willow.

_Shit._

Allison caught her reflection in the mirror. She was the definition of a deer caught in headlights.

Lydia laughed. "Oh, honey. You're not fooling anyone." She looked genuinely amused. It made Allison's stomach flip. "Oh come on," Lydia teased, poking at Allison's rib cage. "There's a mirror right there. I could see you burning holes into the laptop trying not to look at me."

Allison sat up and ran her hand through her hair. "I don't know what you're talking about. And I meant to say Willow, not _me_." She cursed herself inside her head. That didn't sound convincing in the slightest.

Lydia patted her knee. "You're a terrible actress, Allison. And it's okay. Your secret's safe with me."

Allison sighed. What was the point? Lydia could see right through her. "I'll understand if you want to leave," Allison said, casting her gaze down.

"Don't be ridiculous," Lydia scoffed. "Besides, I'd be more concerned if you weren't attracted to me."

Allison cocked her eyebrow.

"What?" Lydia raised the corner of her lip into a smirk. "I know I'm hot."

Allison laughed, shaking her head. "You're awful."

They smiled at each other. Allison took a deep breath, elated. It was like a huge crushing weight had been lifted off her chest. "I'm not gay. I just…"

"Like me?" Lydia finished for her.

Allison nodded, her cheeks burning up. This was not the way she pictured their girl's night going.

Lydia reached across Allison's lap and took her hand. "Want to just get some sleep?"

Allison's body buzzed at the contact. "Yeah. I'll go downstairs and sleep on the couch. You can have my room." She tried pulled away but Lydia held her firmly in place.

"You're staying here with me," Lydia assured.

Allison went to protest but Lydia gave her a stern look. She smiled and nodded instead, pulling back the covers as Lydia set her laptop back on her desk and turned off the light.

They lied in silence. Seconds turning into torturous, mind-numbing minutes. Allison swore she could hear her heartbeat loud and clear.

"This isn't going to change anything, is it?" Allison said into the darkness.

"Probably." Lydia turned on her side to face Allison. Their eyes caught. "But it doesn't have to be a bad change."

Lydia moved over, resting her head on Allison's shoulder. She wrapped her arm under Allison's and gripped her bicep softly. Allison drew in a quick, sharp breath and stared up at the ceiling. She left herself relax as Lydia swiped her thumb back and forth over her skin; an easy smile spread across her face at the touch.

"Good," she said, leaning her head on Lydia's.

When Allison woke up the next morning, Lydia's body was tangled around hers. Lydia shifted awake and she greeted Allison with the exact smile that made Allison fall in love with her. It was a change she could _definitely _get used to.


End file.
